Spirits: Waking Up Alone

The Beginning of the End

     Carnirus gazed across the roof tops scattered among the streets around him. He himself stood atop a large, flat-topped building in the center of the town. Soon he would be living again. Living, but not entirely mortal.

     He crouched on the edge of the tall building, watching a group of little kids run down the street dressed in bizarre costumes, their laughter filling the cool, evening air. Carnirus smiled down at them though they did not know of his presence. 

     "Laugh while you can, children. Soon your souls will belong to my shadowbeasts."

      His head tilted back as he brought his shining eyes to look upon the sky. It was a beautiful evening, crisp and cool. The clouds were scattered into odd patterns, catching the light of the dying sun and glowing pink and orange. The wind ruffled Carnirus's black hair, tossing the strands around his face as he smiled at the moon. The silver orb was steadily emerging from behind the darkening clouds, casting its light upon the earth.

     Carnirus stood, his eyes locking onto the dark crystal on the top of his twisted staff, "Who will save you now, Hunter? Your friends? Family? I've already won, and there's nothing anyone can do to stop me."

     A glow of silver crossed the ground as the shadows darkened suddenly, and Carnirus glanced up to see the last rays of sunlight disappear behind the horizon. He smiled, his eyes lighting with an almost childish excitement. "Finally. It is time."

     He tilted his head back, and an eerie howl escaped his lips. The sound cut though the blackening sky, piercing the dusk and making all in the streets pause in confusion. A number of distant howls echoed back through the streets as hundreds of shadowbeasts began to prowl out of hiding, gathering beneath the building Carnirus was perched atop.

    The humans could neither see nor hear the shadowbeasts, so each malevolent creature pushed past houses and through streets without notice. Carnirus stood above them all, his staff gripped firmly in his hand.

     "Welcome, my friends," Carnirus shouted, a maniacal grin crossing his face, "Welcome, to the demise of mortals!! After so many years of waiting, we can finally come out of the shadows and eat our fill. We can crush those who didn't believe in us and gain more power than any one human can posess...."

    From inside of the dark crystal, Hunter could hear Carnirus's rousing speech to the shadowbeasts who probably couldn't care less what he was saying. But it still scared Hunter as much as he tried to deny it. He was completely trapped inside of the crystal, knowing soon that Carnirus would soon begin the procedure of removing his soul.

     "And now," Carnirus continued, "For the final ingredient. The soul of a seer!" Hunter's containment was jostled as it was lifted towards the full moon, the light flickering inside of the crystal in tiny cracks. It was coming.

     "Hanc commutationem pro anima mea suas, sic ego potest adhuc vivere! Ut det mihi volo ut luna vigere."

     The incantation was followed by a chorus of howls from the shadowbeasts, and the moonlight filtering into the crystal began to glow brighter. Hunter stumbled back from the rays, but they caught him in their glare. He cried out in horror as the silver light began to curl around him like brilliant chains, holding him in place. Then a horrible feeling filled the pit of his stomach as the light began to swirl around him like a glowing wind. The torrents tugged at him though he was held in place, and he found himself unable to draw breath.

     Pain seared through him, just beneath the skin burning like fire. Screams of agony were torn from his throat as he writhed, trying to escape the hell possessing him. Hunter glanced down at himself, his vision blurring, but he saw red cracks appearing in his arms. He was literally being ripped to pieces.

    This was the end. He was about to die, in what felt like the worst way possible.

    His vision went completely white, the glow blinding him entirely. He threw his head back with a horrible scream wrenched from his body, begging in his mind for the pain to just end.

     On the outside of the dark crystal, Carnirus watched in pleasure as the crystal shone silver on the top of his staff. Screams sliced through the air, smothered only by the anticipating howls of the shadowbeasts.

      "So close....." He breathed, watching wisps of faded white appear above the crystal and begin to collect into a tiny orb the color of the moon. "Almost there....."

      A new sound cut through the chaotic night, shaking even the buildings like an earth quake. The roar made Carnirus's blood run cold as he recognized it as the one thing that could destroy everything he worked for.

     An enormous beast exploded through the blackening clouds, sending the wispy spirals off in multiple directions. Scales and horns of coal black gleamed in the moonlight as the huge Shadow Dragon sprang towards Carnirus.

     The staff was knocked from the Shadow King's hand, and he let out a shout of fury. He dove after it, but Kiara herself leapt from the dragon's back, snatching it up. "Stoke!" she cried, "Light it up!!"

     The dragon's jaws parted as a spark lit in the back of his throat. Pure blue flames raced from the jaws toward the staff that Kiara dropped and jumped away.

     "No!" Carnirus leapt straight into the fire, retrieving the burning staff. His clothes were charred and smoking, but his flesh seemed undamaged as he emerged with the staff. But Hunter's body rolled out of the flames as he laid limply on the ground smudged with ash.

    "Did we destroy it?" Kiara dropped to the ground beside Hunter, not looking up as she spoke to Stoke the dragon.

     "No," he rumbled, tossing his head in annoyance, "We merely weakened the walls enough for it to no longer contain this boy. Unless it is completely eradicated, it will be able to cure itself and again be used to withdraw the child's soul."

     Hunter slowly sat up, his skin littered with jagged scratches. He was startled to find Kiara's arms around him, "K-Kiara! Wh-wha...? A dragon?!!! How— "

     "I'll explain later," Kiara vowed, pulling him to his feet, "We need to stop Carnirus first."

     Carnirus smiled at them wickedly, "Really? You seem to forget that even if you still have a dragon... I have hundreds of monsters at my command!" He raised his arms with triumph, and the shadowbeasts below caterwauled in excitement.

     The Shadow King smirked at their startled faces, "I'll have your soul before sunrise, boy. Now, my Shadows... tear them apart!!!"